Defining Place:
Giving Form to Crossings ina Small Town Waterfront Community
by
Melanie B. Coo
B.A. Architecture
Wellesley College, 1992
SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE IN PARTIAL
FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE
AT THE
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
FEBRUARY 1998
@ Melanie B.Coo 1998. All rights reserved.
The author hereby grants MIT permission to reproduce and to distribute publicly
paper and electronic copies of this thesis docqment in whole or in part.
Signature of Author:
of Architecture
D.cktment
a
January 1 ,1998
j;aampler
Certified by:
Professor of A
^
Accepted by:
-
itecture
,YsisA1|y
Roy Strickland
Associate Professor of Architecture
Chairman, Departmental Committee on Graduate Students
-Loot
title page: fig. 1. Pier remnants, Keyport, NJ
Shun Kanda
Senior Lecturer
Reader
fig.2. Ryo anji, Japan
Ann Pendleton Jullian
Associate Professor of Architecture
Reader
Defining Place:
Giving Form to Crossings in a Small Town Waterfront Community
by
Melanie B. Coo
Submitted to the Department of Architecture
on January 16, 1998 in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture
ABSTRACT
How do you define a place? This thesis has been an exploration in giving form to the
many forces which come together and give a place a particular character. It isabout
providing an alternative to the usual public place markers of civic monuments such as
town halls and churches, and instead allowing the architectural form to grow out of
the existing forces. These forces are in constant interaction with each other and the
world around them: public and private, water and land, new and old, interior and
exterior, movement, light and use. I have set out to develop those zones shared by
these things crossing over one another, focusing primarily on the building edges
where public and private intersect.
Thesis Advisor: Jan Wampler
Title: Professor of Architecture
fig.3. Raritan Bay from site
Acknowledgements
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fig.4. Front Street, 1898
Contents
7
abstract
3
acknowledgements
4
introduction
8
site
10
concept
17
program
21
character
23
areas within the site
32
vocabulary
39
synthesis
47
conclusion
69
bibliography
73
credits
75
fig.5. Front Street, 1998
Introduction
8
I was born and raised in New Jersey,
but until last January had never come
upon this place. The town of Keyport,
New Jersey and its water's edge, unfolded before me as we drove up and
over the hill of Broad Street. This place
was for the most part unmarked, yet
somehow I was immediately drawn to
s charm. I knew this would be the site
or my thesis. It contains in its location,
history and use, all of the ingredients
which, pulled together offer everything
needed to make a place.
How do you define a place? This thesis
has been an exploration in giving form
to the many forces which come together
and give a place a particular character.
It is about providing an alternative to the
usual public place markers of civic monuments such as town halls and churches,
and instead, allowing the architectural
fig.6. Broad Street looking North,1998
form to grow out of the existing forces.
These forces which I refer to are in constant interaction with each other and the
world around them:
public and private
water and land
new and old
interior and exterior
movement
light
use
I have set out to develop those zones
shared by these things crossing over one
another, looking at all scales at which
this interaction occurs, yet focusing primarily on the building edges where public and private intersect.
fig.7. Broad Street looking North, 1905
Site
10
Keyport, NewJersey isa small town once
known for its steamboat building industry and its oyster farming. Its history can
be traced back to around 1664, when
it was known as Chingarora, or "Fishing Point", a place frequented by the
Lenni Lenape Indians. Its current name
was given around 1830 when a dock
and storehouse company was founded.
(Timothy Regan, Keyport)
The town is situated at the fringe of the
industry which surrounds New York City.
It is part of the waterfront where the Atlantic Ocean juts into the land and becomes Raritan Bay. One can see the
Manhattan skyline off in the distance. But
there doesn't seem to be any declared
heart to this place. Front Street, busy with
antique shops and deli,
acts as the
town's center, but there is no clear idenfig.8. Keyport, NJ
tity of place.
Like most waterfront communities along
the Jersey Shore, Keyport also has a rich
history related to its waterfront. Located
only 22 miles from New York City,
throughout its history Keyport had a trade
route,
utilizing its Luppatacong and
Matawan Creeks to bring goods further
--4
inland.
*f8r
fig.9. Map of Keyport, 1873
fig. 10. Manhattan skyline from site
From the early 1700's until 1925, oyster harvesting provided employment for
many in the town. At its peak, when the
J. and
J.W. Ellsworth Co. was operat-
ing in Keyport, there were approximately
300 men employed in the oyster industry in Keyport.
Through the 1800's steamboat building
was a main industry for the community
fig.11. Ellsworth Oyster Co., c. 1902
of Keyport, and today its marinas still
continue to bring some of the bay's business into Keyport.
Aside from its industry, the townspeople
have always made use of the waterfront
for fishing and crabbing, including a
small dock which takes deep sea fishing
trips through the summer months. It is a
community which takes pride in its festi-
fig. 12. Steamboat 'Key Port', 1830
vals and town-wide tag sales, making
use of whatever open outdoor space is
available to come together and share in
various events. An empty lot along Front
Street is terraced and landscaped to
accommodate a stage and benches. It
is called the 'bandstand', and it is the
destination of town parades. It seems
unfortunate that this area considered to
be the punctuation mark for the town's
activities is located only through signage
and a flagpole.
fig.13. Bandstand green
fig. 14. Bandstand from Front Street
The town has placed park benches along
the tree lined main streets, but there is
no real place where the public might
claim as their own. A place to gather
and wait for friends, or relax and enjoy
the fresh air, view and sunlight. The elderly spend their afternoons drinking coffee inside the deli, while the teenagers
of the community go to the local auto
tune-up shop to hang around.
fig. 16. Front Street
It seemed appropriate then, to choose a
site within this town which contained all
the necessary ingredients making up its
inherent identity, and then form an architecture and a program which would enhance that identity and place, and offer
it back to the community.
fig. 15. Existing lots of Keyport waterfront
fig. 17. Site from Bandstand
15
The site I chose is the area between the
water's edge and Front Street, between
Broad Street and the area called the
'bandstand'. Currently the site is an open
dirt parking lot.The buildings which line
the North side of Front Street have their
backs turned to the site, some with appendages of wood decking, others with
no windows at all. The narrow alleyway
which sneaks between the existing buildings currently holds the trash of the businesses within, but the stream of sunshine
forcing its way through the fence offers
hope that there is more to this site than is
yet being utilized.
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fig.]18-2 1. Site
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fig.22. Initia site organization model, 1"=100'
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fig.23. Process concept model, 1"=100'
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fig.24. Process concept model, 1"=100'
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fig. 25. Concept considerations
Concept
Early on in this exploration, an attitude
ar is
W
was taken with regards to the overall site
organization. If the basis of this thesis
was to make a place where all of these
forces cross over one another, then there
I
needed to be a way to signify that interaction at the site scale. This interaction
-
would be embodied by the simultaneity
of something connecting and separating.
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The connection would be situated at the
location of one of many paths across
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the site, probably the most prominent,
.A
leading from the most active of the existI,~ro ~
ing areas, Front Street, down to a ferry
pier at the water's edge. This path, then
would link old and new, land and water,
and symbolically, New York City and a
small-town New Jersey community.
fig.26-29. Process concept sketches
,'.,
,ti
I
The separation portion of the interaction
would run parallel to the water's edge
as well as to Front Street, and would lie
between these two edges.
Whatever
form this would take in the end, it would
play the role of separating the identity of
land and water, old and new, private
and public.
Both would provide a new edge to the
community's open space, and therefore
a more precise definition of that space
for the public to orient themselves and
identify with.
Given this attitude and resulting conceptual intervention on the site, the forces of
the site itself were then looked at to determine how they would in turn influence
the form of this initial intervention.
These site forces included the following:
e
e
e
the size and scale of the open area,
*
the paths and patterns of sunlight
and how the built forms might shape
which would fall onto the ground
that open territory
and into windows
the directionality of the coastline,
e
the scale of the existing buildings,
and the natural power of its continu-
in height as well as bay spacing and
ity
lot sizes
the paths and patterns of movement
of the people using the space
*
fig.30. Path
fig.31. Open space
fig.32. Massing and Space
fig.33. Path and Use
the possibilities for uses, taking into
account its existing uses, what it
might be lacking, what potential
uses could add new life without undermining the existing
7.
The form which resulted from examining
these forces was a manipulated form of
the original intervention. The larger landscape of the coastline and the existing
lot lines deteriorated the pure diagram
of connecting and separating until they
began to disintegrate back into the landscape. The strength of the water and the
continuity of the coastline instigated the
shift in the grid from that of the existing
town towards a diagonal more in line
with the water's edge.
The potential for uses then guided the
overall organization of the site, as well
fig.34. Concept model, 1"=100'
as the size and scale of the proposed
built forms.
The existing and potential
paths and patterns of movement of
people as well as sunlight, then molded
these forms and suggested entries, thresholds, vocabulary and materials.
fig.35. Concept sketch of forces
',
Program
ni
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t 3 .7K
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T.
The proposal for the site is for mixed use,
......
especially rich in community activities.
This mix in use should promote an overlap in use and users, as well as in the
physical crossings. Uses would include
5
23
the following:
I artist loft space
8
gallery
workspace, teaching space
7
2 offices
3 retail, market shops
9
4 ferry information,ticket pavilion
10
6
5 steamboat museum
6 residential
10 viewing platform
7 daycare
1] parking
8 teen center
12 ferry
9 resident meeting space
fig.36. Ground Plan
I0
While each use was carefully considered as to its appropriateness in this community and as part of this mix of uses,
the specific uses are not so important to
this exploration as is the assumption that
there is a particular shell space which is
primarily private. These private uses are
then one side of a gradient between
public and private, with this exploration
trying to better define (both physically
and through identity making) the zone
fig.37. Process sketch of site diagram
shared by both.
Character
23
Without resorting to a time tested monument to mark identity of place, blatant
symbols or merchandise which is a current trend to draw people into a site,
there must be a way to express the inherent character of a place in the architectural form. The character to which I
refer is an essence of a place, that which
gives a particular place an attraction. It
can be natural or the result of human
interaction with the surroundings, but
many will be drawn to a place with character with or without the help of design.
Perhaps with design, and an enriching
of the inherent qualities, more people can
be drawn towards it, making it a more
active, safe place to be.
fig.38. Point Pleasant Beach, 1972
24
Examples of this character include:
This place along a path holds
an identity of place at many
scales. Your foot goes on the
stone step as you move into
the shop. There is a seat to
rest at overlooking the street
from which you just came.
Occupants have a window
from above looking out over
the public thoroughfare. The
entry shares the space of the
upper floor, the lower shop,
the front terrace and the street.
It is an eroded corner which
overlaps and shares interior
and exterior. The roofs and
canopies enhance all the
various scales, bringing them
together as one, yet dividing
their own territories. The hills
beyond are an inextricable
part of this place as well.
io
fig.39 Kyoto,
Japan
fig.40. Ocean Grove
Fishing Pier, NJ
Man's attempt to inhabit this vast water: In a way, fragile compared to the awesome strength of the water into which it steps. It is
sturdy allowing you to step out over the lopping surface, just a
little closer to the fresh smell, just a little further from the bustling
community from which these wooden planks extend.
fig.41. Ocean Grove Beach, NJ
The vastness of the ocean as experienced from a beach. Its power
and yet its calm and peace. standing at the edge of the earth, with
this seemingly endless dark abyss before you.
26
Standing under this roof,
you are at once part of
the area of the platform,
and part of the view
before you. The scale of
the roof responds to the
scale of the view,
allowing the vista to
flow in and under it and
amongst the columns
which surround you.
fig.42. Kyomizu, Japan
fig.43. Saturday morning at Haymarket
fig.44. Haymarket: Boston, MA
There is an edge here in front of some open space. It
provides the opportunity for raising temporary structures
here, allowing the community to transform the area from
street and parking into a marketplace of fresh fruits and
vegetables.
ground level changes which allow a place
to simultaneously be its own space while
also part of another
structure and enclosure which fulfill primary
functions but also accommodate sitting or
resting places, path guides, or area
demarcations
sheltered public space which shares some
spatial qualities of both its interior and exterior
adjacent spaces
fig.45.
Crabbing Dock Point Pleasant, NJ
fig.46.
Faneuil Hall Marketplace: Boston, MA
fig 47,48.
Waterfront,Savannah, Georgia
Clearly there is a front and back side to these buildings. Along the
waterfront of Savannah, these old warehouses have a taut facade
which faces the street and automobile traffic, and a pedestrian
edge which is clearly a different scale. The larger framework of the
warehouses sets the stage for the variety of storefronts along this
edge. Each picks up on the signage height and perpendicular
angle, the doorway and awning height and sitting heights, but in
their own vocabulary and materials. There is a unique tenant
identity within a larger overall clarity.
fig.49. Tepia, Tokyo, Japan
Inside this space, you are part of a building, but you are part
of a city You are walking through someone else's space, but
you are on the street. There are hints of the history of this
culture you are in, but this is very much a contemporary
building. Layers between interior and exterior achieve the
experience of shared identity. Simultaneity is achieved in this
space.
The outside comes right in. The structure and enclosure are
cagelike and somewhat transparent, but you are aware that you
are within, looking outward.
fig.50. Cartier Foundation, Paris
fig.5 1 Blackman House, Manchester MA
the ability to see passing light. for its own sake, the patterns it can
create, the warmth of the sun, the attention it brings to the surfaces
on which it falls
Areas within the Site
From the regional scale to the human
scale, there is a particular character to
every place which can be brought out
and enhanced by architectural form. At
the regional scale, it is a waterfront community, but more specifically, it is part of
a continuity of the jersey Shore. The town
of Keyport brings its own identity to the
site as would each of the uses within the
proposed program. Each public area
within the site might be distinct in character, yet could share similar aspects of
a vocabulary of built form with other areas of the site, offering a richness as well
as continuity to the site as a whole.
fig.52. Site model, 1" = 32'
Vr
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3
These separate areas include the follow-
2
8\
ing:
5
1
Front Street Marquis
2
Gallery
3
Office Building
4
Open Air Passage
5
Retail Shops
6
Farmers' Market
7
Flea Market
8
Ferry Pavilion
9
Ferry Pier
K
0
IV
r.
.400
fig. 5 3 . Plan
10
"1
Community Plaza
fig.54- 60. Partial plans of areas on following pages, 1'
64'
IS
announces one of the entries into the site from Front
Street
1. front street marquis
1
..
link between art lofts and the community, offers an
opportunity for displaying work, as well as a larger
space to facilitate community workshops or youth
classes in various arts.
_
L
4
-e
2. art gallery
a destination for workers from both the existing
community as well as those arriving from the ferry
office units would have views of both the plaza as
1w-F
well as the Manhattan skyline.
a
4
~
Shops located along the primary pedestrian path
leading to the ferry pier are smaller in scale to
facilitate access to merchandise by commuters and
visitors.
w'~~
3. office
4
K
a
A
4. open air passage
~.
While this node would serve as the primary entrance for the offices
as well as the restaurant and retail, it is also a passageway from
the parking off Broad Street into the plaza. It is immediately
adjacent to the museum and its entry, and could be used for
smaller outdoor community functions which might require minimum
shelter from the environment.
First floor retail and upper floor offices provide the backdrop and
anchor for temporary activities. Lamp posts, banner posts and street
furniture play a dual role by providing the infrastructure to support
market stalls and their shelters.
11
It
5. farmer's market
K
shared by the daycare, teen center and resident meeting house,
this area would be raised slightly from the rest of the open space to
differentiate between the two areas as more private
6. community plaza
7. flea market
A familiar site to anyone who knows the jersey
Shore is people sitting in their cars during the winter,
gazing over the open water. This open space could
also be utilized by the townspeople for another
favorite activity tag sales.
8. ferry pavilion
ticket sales, information about ferry schedules, and
enclosed waiting area with a waterfront view
9. ferry pier
long enough to reach the channel depths, straight
and for the most part unadorned, to allow visitors
and commuters as much visual and other sensory
access to the water as possible
0
fig.61. Front Street
Vocabulary
Certain vocabulary would be found
throughout the site to provide a continuity of identity, familiar scales, materials
and forms which allow someone to orient themselves without specific signage.
This vocabulary has been extracted from
the existing context at all scales in reference to the forces from which this place
has gained its identity. From rhythms of
structural members traditionally used in
fishing piers, and the vernacular of canopies and shutters of the jersey Shore, to
fig.62. Ocean Grove Fishing Pier
the skeletal and fleeting structures of carnivals and amusement parks, each member of the vocabulary offers another opportunity to link back to the surrounding
region, site and lifestyle.
fig.63. Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ
This vocabulary includes:
metal:
skeletal
reference to amusements of the Jersey Shore,
roller coasters,
ferris wheels,
temporary structures
material:
fig.64. Amusements in Keansburg, NJ
glass:
where appropriate to take advantage of sunlight and
views of the plaza, the water and the skyline across
the boy
fig.65.Kindergarden,Frieburg Germany
structure:
In an effort to refer back to the existing
site, rather than just picking up on structural bay rhythms already established on
Ill
111
the site, a combined structural system of
walls and columns was used. With reference to the existing buildings' load
bearing walls as well as the pier's pilons,
each system works its way from Front
Street and the land towards the water,
and from the water towards the street
and land respectively. The closer each
system is towards the other's origin, the
more it acts structurally and in form like
the other. As the columns get closer towards the street, they are more linear
and become wall like. As the walls get
closer towards the water, they become
more fragmented and resemble more
and more a field of columns.
fig.66. Diagram of structure
e
42
shelter:
At any waterfront location, there is always a multitude of forms providing shelter in some way. In keeping with some
of the forms commonly found along the
Jersey Shore, each area within the site is
always sheltered in some way from the
elements, precipitation as well as sunlight.
In each case, there is a canopy, arcade,
light screen or privacy screen, each with
some scale resemblance to the overall
fig.67. Kyoto Gosho, Japan
use of these sheltering devices as well
as similarity in the materials used to construct them. In most cases they are lightweight frames with translucent material
like glass or mesh wire, and are usually
operable by the occupants to account
fig.68. Newburyport, M
for climate changes year round.
In a few cases the more permeable materials could be replaced by more
weather tight materials to account for the
inclement seasons.
fig.69. Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
fig.70. Storefront mezzanine, Pittsburgh, PA
dimensions:
height
2 feet: sitting ledges,
benches, column bases
3 feet: railings, resting / leaning
8 feet: human, entry
12 feet: retail, entry zone
bay spacing
10 foot and 20 foot rhythm of boys, picks up pilon spacing of the
ferry pier, but is also similar tothe bay spacing of the existing fabric
of load bearing walls
fig.71. Hertzberger's Apollo School
fig.72.Fire destruction, Broad St., 1877
asphalt
\
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paving:
j~
j
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_
brick
The areas of the site are also tied together through the ground treatment and
paving materials. Ground materials over-
ardi
lap where possible to further link the different locations within the site. While only
brick
the ferry pier itself actually overlaps with
sand
the water, the water is considered to be
concrete
an important factor of the ground level.
It is adjacent to either sand or board-
grass
walk, which is typical of all of the shore-
"A-W
line in New Jersey. Where the boardwalk and the sand leave off, brick pav-
.....
.........
ing begins, linking the existing town to
boddwask
its new development, and land to water. Accents in stone throughout the brick
grass
paving highlight use areas and thresholds of interior uses. More private outdoor areas are considered to be grass
in keeping with the yards of the existing
community neighborhoods.
fig.73. Ground plan
fig.74. Final model, 1/8"='1-O"
Synthesis
47
This has been an exploration in making
the many parts work together to make a
whole. Each piece playing its part to help
form the identity of this place. The separate parts have been outlined in the previous pages. What follows is an attempt
to synthesize those categories towards
a stronger identity for this site.
fig.75. Final model, 1/8"1'-O"
48
existing building
S
tight path squeezes you towards the
open piaza ahead, while the marquis
transforms into a light canopy, continuing the shelter height of the rest of the
edge
vocabulary of rest of site turns corner,
as street life + plaza activity spill into
each other
peeling back of corner, allowing light
to penetrate, this retail shop now
claims both street + alley edge
located off center on Front Street, this
plaza path allows the activity to spill
out onto the street, rather than guide it
to a precise destination which would
funnel life away from the existing
community
/
p
I
Marquis and Entry from Front Street
49
figs.76-80.
50
balconies of lofts overlook path below
arcade with operable canopies extend
gallery out into the public path
glass enclosure + level change
promote viewing from public path
inward to exhibits
collonade carries rhythm of ferry pilons
up towards Front Street
second gallery entry angled in
reference to ferry pier and waterfront,
welcoming public to walk through
gallery as well as under arcade
Artist Lofts and Ga||ery
5
51
T.
...........
6A
figs.81-85.
52
translucent screens let light in and
views out, while their larger surface
area responds to the larger plaza
adjacent to it
larger framework allows variety in
identities along the storefront edge
the angle of the ferry pier climbs all the
way from the water's edge to these
retail shops, in contrast to the offices
orthagonal to the street
just short of a view to the water, this
angle ties the life of the street into the
reference of the water, reminding those
who stroll along this path of the duality
of this site's identity
figs.86-91.
Office and Retail
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skeletal trusses float above, supporting
light canopies which provide some
shelter from the elements
54
tall height in proportion to its square
footage in response to the vast space
around it, and to welcome the public
through it
summer breezes cool this shaded
area, making it an ideal location to
linger, or for community members to
utilize
path continues between the open air
passage and the museum - narrowing
and then expanding again, a gateway
between plaza and ferry landing
providing another layer between land
and water
entry to the museum located adjacent
to the juncture between land, water,
automobile and pedestrian
the low silhouette of its built form offers
choice along a path, while minimally
influencing the boundaries of the vast
space it is situated in
Open Air Passage, Steamboat Museum
V
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figs.92-98.
I
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ri.1
rb-/
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destination at the end of main town
access, Broad Street
-
double sided small retail shops
-
street lamps also provide infrastructure
for temporary stands
-
evel change to beach allows view
over water from parking area
-
access to beach
figs.99-103.
Flea Market and Parkn
57
(79
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58
operable screens allow flexibility in
light and ventilation
depth from tenant enclosure to screen
plane provides shared area of public
and private
lower level operable screens transform
to canopies to extend shop territory out
into public path
paving material shifts from brick to
boardwalk to transition towards ferry
pier and beach
figs. 104-109.
Retail and Ferry Landing
,
V////////////
/ /////////////////
59
60
pavilion extends out from lower level of
retail building becoming wider and
lower in relationship to the horizontality
of the water, and direction of the
coastline
structure here is entirely columns in
reference to pilons from the pier
screens pivot open in summer months
to allow breezes into pavilion, and
more views out onto the water
regularity of structural bays continues in
ferry pier pilon spacing, carrying
continuity of site all the way to ferry
dock
beach extends under pier and wraps
into site, a reminder of the site's
identity, and the endless coastline it is
part of
figs. 110-114
Ferry Pier and Pavilon
FTTr
-
0k
4
/////
62
41<
---
g-]1-.-kechofMake-Lm
J
\'
fgs.]1]. Sketch of Market aea
Farmer's Market
63
Similar to the flea market and parking
area at the northernmost area of the site,
this open space would provide the framework for selling booths. This would al-
low current site activities to continue,
supporting the continuation of community uses.
Lamp posts would accommodate temporary structures for markets, and their bases
would provide supports for horizontal
surfaces, or as sitting areas when the
markets were not operating.
The positioning of these posts would simultaneously suggest a defined area to
help identify the marketplace, while
maintaining a sparseness to permit the
whole area to be inclusive rather than
divisive. Stone accents in the brick paving would highlight the marketplace area
more subtly than differentiating the enfigs. 117-1 20.
tire area with an alternate ground cover.
figs. 121-123.
Viewing Platform and Residential
While this area was treated only periphJ77 7
erally to the more public areas of the
site, it was an important ingredient to
the whole.
The reality of this community is the proximity of its commercial and residential
properties. Providing some residential
space would assist in fulfilling the level
of activity proposed for this mixed use
development, as well as enhance the
neighborly characteristics inherent in the
site.
'10k
'I "I-
I Ni,
I"i"r,
""i
p"I'l
1"i"I,
The coastline is powerful. It is not
something to be crossed over lightly,
but rather should be taken into account
when deciding how to cross it - where
is its edge, really? It depends on the
scale which you refer to, so this site
has been developed in layers which
overlap.
*
from water to land, but really
water to pier and pier to land
*
from plaza to passage, shared by
the farmer's market, and wherever
it might define its boundaries from
week to week
" from passage back to existing
street where the marquis turns the
corner layering the identity of the
plaza back into the existing street
continuing the intention of sharing
and overlapping.
figs. 124-127.
Meeting the Water's Edge
Ivv7j
figs. 128. Broad Street, Keyport
Conclusion
There will always be a need for public
influence the quality of the space and
places. Places to take a brisk walk, to sit
therefore the quality of the experience
and have lunch on a sunny day, to col-
there.
lect your thoughts - large open spaces
for children to play, while adults watch
This thesis began as an attempt to de-
over them.
fine a place through the built definition
of its edges. In struggling to find the ba-
We are at a time when technology of-
sis for that definition, it became an ex-
fers us many conveniences, but for all its
ploration in the development of edge
advances, it can not change the basic
forms as the manifestation of the attributes
needs of being human. People at all ages
inherent in a site.
need contact with nature. Nature being
as simple as sunlight or outdoor air.
These attributes were considered in the
People also need contact with other
form of forces:
people, and children need room to run
public vs. private
and play safely within range of
water vs. land
supervision.So there will always be a
new vs. old
need for places for the public to go.
interior vs. exterior
movement vs. stillness
How these places are designed and
light vs. shadow
consequently defined will most certainly
use vs. emptiness
These forces may appear generic,
but
they are enduring. Regardless of program, inhabitation, or lack thereof, these
forces will remain, interacting and overlapping each other. They can be applied
to most any probable site for public place
development. At their intersection, where
these forces cross, a place is defined.
It is not any one particular force or
attribute from this site which will provide
its identity or success, nor can it be solely
something transplanted from the mind of
a designer. Only through a balance between all of the forces acting on the site
can a healthy public place be achieved
and maintained. Through a built form
In the some spirit of finding a balance
between forces acting on the site, the
way in which a design of a place is
approached must also balance all scales.
By this, reference is being made to the
ever present struggle between the larger
scale issues of urban planning, and the
smaller foci of architectural design.
It is apparent that the design and development of an identity of a place is interwoven in both disciplines, and so should
be approached through a common domain between the two disciplines. While
this brings up its own share of conflicts,
it is only through this shared view that all
aspects of a place identity can truly be
explored.
which acknowledges and embraces the
and therefore healthy public place can
Like the delicate balance of the identity
of the shared place between public and
be realized.
private, there isa place for a balance in
intersection of these forces, this balance
design between architecture and planning.
In the case of Keyport, New Jersey, an
tiness were employed in building a zone
attempt was made to explore its identity
of overlap. All of these forces crossing
at many scales, from the viewpoint of
defined the identity of that zone, from
someone trying to find that balance be-
the few feet directly surrounding some-
tween architecture and planning. At all
one in that space, to the site itself, to the
scales of its development, a definition
region which the site is a part of.
was approached which referred back
to the larger issues: its shared identity
between the waterfront and the existing
town, and between its proximity to New
York City and its inextricable position as
part of the Jersey Shore. While at the
same time, attention was given in the
exploration to see the relevance of the
design to the people who would inhabit
this environment. Light, movement and
The end result of this thesis was more
than a proposal for a public place in a
smalltown waterfront community in New
Jersey. It also is more than the culmination of an education. It is the discovery
of an approach towards design, which
extends beyond the conventional boundaries of disciplines, suggesting the goals
and principles for the future of a designer.
use were considered in terms of how they
might enhance the experience of being
Like the overlapping zones which were
in or next to these built forms. Gradients
being designed for Keyport, NJ, and the
from public to private, water to land, new
to old, interior to exterior, movement to
proposal to overlap the disciplines of
stillness, light to shadow and use to emp-
simultaneously an end and a beginning.
architecture and planning, this thesis is
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Credits
All illustrations and photographs are by author unless otherwise noted.
Fig. 1,4,7. Timothy Regan, Images of America: Keyport
Fig. 9. Map. Keyport Public Library
Fig. 11,12. Timothy Regan, Images of America: Keyport
Fig. 13. Henry Coo
Fig. 45. Lorraine Coo
Fig. 49. Maki + Associates, Space Design #20
Fig. 50, 65. Detail Magazine, January 1995
Fig. 71. Herman Hertzberger, Lessons for Students in Architecture
Fig. 72. Timothy Regan, Images of America: Keyport
Fig. 83. Detail Magazine, January 1995
Fig. 89. Maki + Associates, Space Design #20
75